The great power of the internet is its ability to connect people. This is especially true in the realm of online gaming. With the internet, they can play against anyone from anywhere, depending on the speed of the network.

That said, with skill and strategy being a big divide between amateur and professional players, organisations start up many tournaments, both big and small. What continues to surprise the players and even the fans themselves, is not just the big plays and skills shown, but the big prize pools as well.

DotA 2

If there is any cybersport where players can definitely earn a lot of money while playing, it would be no other than DotA 2. This year’s International had a total prize pool of nearly $25 million. In fact, the International 2014, 2015, and 2016, are listed 4th, 3rd, and 2nd respectively in the list of the largest prize pools.

League of Legends

LoL has been a tough competitor for DotA 2. Although many say that LoL has a lot more players than DotA 2, especially considering that it has been around much longer, the competitive scene’s prize pool is no where near DotA 2’s, the closest one would be in the 2016 World Championships with a $5 million prize pool. Nevertheless, people stay in the game for the fun, and not just the potential money they can earn.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Moving outside of the MOBA genre, CS: GO has one of the most competitive online games available. Even set before LoL, Counter-Strike itself has made its name as one of the most sought for first-person shooters. While prize pool money for competitions of any game does not necessarily define the number of its players, CS: GO managed to gather $1.5 million for their World Electronic Sports Games 2016.